Judge swayed by drug dealer's clean record since 2021 arrest

A DRUG-DEALING father-of-two has been given a lifeline by a judge for the sake of his children.

- By MARTIN NAYLOR

Nottingham Crown Court heard how police found evidence that Benjamin White was selling “good-quality” cocaine when they seized his phone and analysed it, having raided his Aspley home.

But it has taken four years for the case to reach a conclusion and during that time the now 26-year-old has remained out of trouble and cares for his young children while working as a roofer on an ad hoc basis. And those factors have led to him being spared immediate custody.

Imposing two-year jail term, suspended for two years, Judge Stuart Rafferty KC said: “In one sense it is quite difficult to know where to begin as if I was being brutal I would simply say ‘imprisonment, goodbye’. But that would be overlooking certain features in the case.

“Because these sentences were four years ago and as far as I can see you have not reoffended since then.